There is beauty in the glow of the setting sun and life found in the barren autumn landscape.

And in its unique position, in the thick of autumn, Thanksgiving then is the bridge between the summer’s harvest leading to the winter’s silence. Thanksgiving sits in the echoes… the reverberating echoes of the past triumphs and losses. Thanksgiving sits at the threshold… the doorway of a path we’ve yet to journey.

And autumn… it beckons us… inviting us to pause and give thanks at the junction between what was and what is yet to come. And sometimes, when we stop at the just the right time, we see what could not be seen during the plenty and hold onto what sustains us during the scarcity.

Stopping to give thanks can be clumsy at times, prolific at others, and anywhere in between. It comes in simple prayers, sharing of stories around a table, children’s artwork, reflective words posted on social media.

And while we sit on the cusp of the “Christmas season” where many would rather move right past this moment, Thanksgiving is so much more than the gateway to the next holiday.

Choosing to give thanks may truly be the lens through which we can see life clearly. It may bring tears when you are parched… it may lead to laughter and the crinkles in the corners of your eyes… you may find yourselves nostalgic for the days already past… or your heart may skip a beat as you dream of what lies ahead…

Thanksgiving isn’t a lesser holiday. It may be one of the most holy days in our year.

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.””
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12:28-29‬ ‭

In the practice of giving thanks, we see the kingdom of God more clearly and in the act of giving thanks we find our hearts in a true posture of worship of God. God’s love for us is almost incomprehensible, overwhelmingly gracious towards us. Sometimes we struggle to see it, fight to believe in it. But thanksgiving reaches deep in each of us, allowing us to bask in truths that transcend and endure.

Today dig deep, find the joys and provisions in this moment and seek the cornerstone truths each daily bears witness! Take time to give thanks for that which you have received, are receiving this instant, and hold on to the promise you’ve yet to receive.

~Jillene